How $25 can change a life

When we think of having an impact on someone’s life, we often visualize people who donate millions of dollars or give thousands of volunteer hours. And while these are certainly valid (and desired) in the non-profit world, it is amazing how simply donating $25 can truly have a major impact on a life…especially here at LifeWorks.

So what CAN $25 do…

• $25 pays for an Adult Basic Education workbook that will give the gift of reading to a young mom that wants to have story time with her children or to a father struggling to lift his family out of the poverty cycle he has been stuck in since he was a small child. 17% of Travis County adults can’t read above a 5^th grade level.

• $25 covers the cost of a counseling session for a young person or family, living below the poverty level and with no systems of support, which desperately needs someone to talk to and listen as they face a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.  20% of Travis County youth and adults suffer from a debilitating mental illness.

• $25 provides a homeless youth a new backpack. When living on the streets, this is the easiest and safest way to carry and protect all your worldly possessions. Every night in Austin over 500 youth under the age of 18 have no safe place to sleep.

• $25 helps provide a bus pass for a month so that a foster youth can get to school or work. 1 out of 4 foster youth will be homeless 2-6 months after turning 18 years old because they lack the support and learned skills to provide for themselves.$25 helps buy diapers and formula for a teen mom that is faced with homelessness if it weren’t for LifeWorks.  Texas is #3 in the nation in teenage pregnancy and #2 in repeat pregnanci

Last year, LifeWorks served over 11,000 youth and families in our community that were in crisis. Our goal is to place these individuals on a path of success and self-sufficiency.  As you can imagine, each journey is different.  LifeWorks is there to help and be that empowering support system built around trust for those youth and individuals who have been let down by so many, for so long.

Imagine if hundreds or even thousands of $25 gifts were sent to LifeWorks. The impact would be incredible. Help us amplify our work by giving to LifeWorks during #AmplifyAustin! Together we can make change that will last a lifetime!

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 6,700 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 11 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Project Holiday Help!

The holidays are a time for cheer and festivities, but for many Austinites who lack the funds to make the holidays special it can be a taxing burden. This is why LifeWorks started Project Holiday Help to ensure that those in need can enjoy the holidays worry free and there are several ways you can help…

You can adopt a Youth or a Family- One of the biggest struggles underprivileged families have during the holidays is assuring that their children receive gifts that will make them feel special. By adopting a youth or family you get the opportunity to help ensure everyone will be receiving something special this holiday season.

Or

You can sponsor a holiday party- Sometimes just a little holiday cheer goes a long way. As a holiday party sponsor you would host a party for LifeWorks’ clients to help brighten their mood and get them into the festive mind set.

Or

You can support the Holiday Gift Drive- If you can’t adopt a youth or family then donating gift cards can really help LifeWorks’ provide clients with necessities like clothing and food during the holidays.

Or

You can host a backpack drive- Austin has many homeless youths and this allows for LifeWorks to offer support with essential items to keep them safe and warm. You can donate a backpack by itself or include sleeping bags, hoodies, socks, canned food and any other useful items you can think of. 

Each of these options allows you to support your community this holiday season and make a special impact on someone’s life. LifeWorks’ goal is to build strong and resilient families. If you’re interested in supporting our efforts with Project Holiday Help or need more information, please contact Andrew Guerrero at Andrew.Guerrero@lifeworksaustin.org or 512-735-2475. If you already know you would like to be a sponsor then just click here for the application form.  

3rd Annual Casino Royale Event

Friday, October 19, Leap for Lifeworks and our many sponsors including big spenders David Gardner with Morgan Stanley, Tony M Pacheco Jr. DDS PA & Austin Oral Surgery & LoanStar Title Loans presents the 3^rd annual Casino Royale event and if you’ve never been then you’ve really been missing out.

 It’s going to be a fabulous evening of decadence and high stakes fun in the heart of downtown Austin, as for a second straight year the W Hotel will be hosting.

 From 8pm to Midnight there will be tons of fun to have including high stakes fun at our craps tables which are being sponsored by Longbow Partners, LLP, 512 Realty, & Ferrari. From there move on to the roulette table being sponsored by Bixby Zane and if you haven’t had your fill for the night then try your hand at some black jack sponsored by Hey Cupcake, Waldrop Builders, Rosie Marcantoni, Firehouse Animal Health Center, Austin Dental Arts, JD Braddock, ReMax, GDS Associates, Marwill & Wittek Group with Morgan Stanley, Derek and Kathryn McGee, Michael M. Cauley D.D.S. P.A., & Strub Residential.

 If you’re lucky enough to win at any of these events you’ll have the opportunity to trade your winnings for raffle tickets, which will give you the opportunity to win fantastic prizes or if you need a little more excitement try your luck spinning the wheel and you might just win some prizes courtesy of Kendra Scott Jewelry, Delish, Gallery D and plenty of other Austin restaurants.

 But don’t worry if you just want to sit back relax or dance the night away then there will be plenty of opportunity to do so with swinging tunes from Kevin Ahart and some more bumping tunes from DJ Nabiya De Grace. Oh and let’s not forget, open bar all night for your drink pleasure compliments of Grey Goose Vodka.

 There are still a fair amount of tickets left so if you haven’t already purchased your ticket go and buy some now before this amazing event sells out!

 One last thing to know if you plan on going, the attire is all black with tie optional. That means you got to look sharp.

 Can’t wait for Friday, it’s going to be a blast!!!

 

 

 

 

 

HIC Kickoff

It’s amazing the positive impact things most of us may take for granted – a sofa, bed, family pictures, dishes, and a few coats of your favorite color paint – can make in a young person’s life. But to that young person that never had those things or the place to call home, it can mean the difference of staying stuck in a cycle of hopelessness OR starting down the path to success and self-sufficiency. Take Mike for example:

In 2011, LifeWorks provided help for Mike, a young man who was struggling after being transferred from one home to another as a teen. Mike had grown up in homes where violence and conflict were common. After some of his belongings were stolen from his home, he decided he needed to find a safe and secure place to live. Mike discovered the LifeWorks Emergency Shelter and lived there for two months until he was able to secure an apartment with LifeWorks Supportive Housing Program. After having his bare apartment “made-over” as part of the Home Improvement Challenge, his outlook on his future got much brighter.  He graduated from high school last spring and started his first semester at Texas State in August, where he will study social work, so he can give back to the community.

With that in mind, we’re excited that the 8^th Annual LifeWorks Home Improvement Challenge is already well under way.

On August 14^th, professional designers and corporate and community partners began work on plans to transform eight LifeWorks clients’ apartments into beautifully designed homes. This year, teams from Dell, H-E-B, CLS Partners and Austin Asset Management, Westover Hills Church of Christ, LifeWorks Board of Governors, CSID, 3M and the Top Re-Models undertook the challenge of creating a home that represents their client. Each team was provided a handful of resources, as well as gift certificates to Four Hands Home and IKEA.

Teams are feverishly creating the perfect designs and collecting the needed pieces to remodel their client’s apartment on September 21^st.  All work must be completed in eight hours. However at the end of the day, each team will share in the joy and excitement as their clients enter their newly remodeled homes for the very first time.

The Home Improvement Challenge is for our clients a life changing experience, because it puts them in a better position to succeed. We’re all eagerly anticipating the outcome of this year’s event.  Be sure to check back for updates. 

It’s only a gift if you give it away…

For some reason, people draw a natural connection between Santa Claus and me. Of course, over the years, I have come to embrace that connection. 

Santa is known for his work with children…so am I.
Santa is jolly…so am I.
Santa is successful because he works with and for amazing people…same here.
Santa likes to give gifts to everyone…so do I.

But…the gift LifeWorks offers is not something you can toss in the air, operate with batteries, try on or drive around. Our gift is the deep belief that the youth we serve do not need to be changed – they do not come to us to be changed; they are already okay, and our only job is to keep them safe and offer them a caring relationship. This alone has the greatest potential to make a positive difference in their futures. With this belief guiding my work, I am humbled to be honored as a White House Champion of Change. 

For the past 42 years, I have worked to help youth and those helping youth learn that the kids are not the problem – the problem is the problem – and if we can work at fixing the problem everyone will win. Of course, tackling the issues of youth homelessness or child abuse is not a one-person job. But, if we as a community can come together and start addressing the issues, work collaboratively, be innovative in our approach and, most importantly, genuinely listen to those needing help, then we can certainly make headway and one day…who knows.

My passion for helping youth has been shared by my lovely bride, MaryLou. She and I have opened our home as foster parents to 56 youth over the years.  I have seen youth excel and go from hopeless to home-owners, from middle school-drop outs to college graduates and parent-less to being great parents.  Of course, I have seen others that have not yet experienced the success that lives inside them. This unrealized potential is what inspires me each day and has my team working 24/7 to help each youth discover the precious gift that lies deep inside. 

At LifeWorks, we believe that everyone deserves at least one person who is fiercely and unconditionally devoted to his/her success. David Taylor, a cherished colleague of mine that has passed, helped put into words what I firmly believe.

“Deep in their heart of hearts, youth long to be known, to be seen as they are and to found to be okay. Most are afraid they are not OK, having been told so over and over again. The more they believe they are OK, they better they are able to access and utilize their own resources. There is nothing that will have a bigger, or faster payoff than the realization that they are not flawed, but whole, intact, and completely OK.”

So…as I don my red suit each holiday season, I am reminded that like Santa, the road is long and the work can be tiresome but the smiles, the laughs, the hugs and successes make each day a truly wonderful gift.

Steve Bewsey is the Housing and Homelessness Director at LifeWorks, a non-profit dedicated to creating generational change in youth and families by providing the most comprehensive safety-net of support services in Austin and Central Texas

Austinites to run for LifeWorks at Win4Youth 2012

Who’s up for a jog?! On Thursday, June 21, local athletes will assemble at Auditorium Shores to participate in Win4Youth 2012, an annual event organized by Adecco Group aimed at generating donations for local charities and select foundations around the world. Austin participants will be competing against athletes in four other cities in an attempt to walk or run the most miles on that day and win a big donation for LifeWorks.

The Win4Youth initiative began in 2010 as a way for Adecco colleagues and clients to stay active while supporting youth charities. Last year, The Win4Youth program saw more than 20,500 participants in 63 countries log over 1.5 million kilometers. Every kilometer logged as part of Win4Youth earns youth charities dollars sponsored by Adecco. 30 Win4Youth athletic events in the U.S. have been scheduled to take place from April to September.

This year, in honor of the 2012 Olympic Games, Adecco Group North America has split the continent up into five teams that will be competing against one another to log the most miles jogged, biked or swam. On Thursday, Austin participants will take to the trail at Lady Bird Lake to out run athletes in Boston, Detroit, Tampa and Washington, DC. The North American portion of Win4Youth has been named Tri As One. Not only will participants be running to earn monies for local organizations but they will also collectively be running to accumulate dollars for several global foundations chosen by Adecco.

Clients or colleagues of Adecco Group interested in participating in Win4Youth can register for Thursday’s (June 21) run/walk here or at the start line the morning of the event. Runners will meet 8 am at Auditorium Shores (Downtown Austin by the 1st street bridge) where there will be a pre-event celebration prior to the start of the run.

LifeWorks would like to thank all runners taking part in this event and Adecco Group for encouraging a global community to do good for youth and families in need. Godspeed athletes! Your endurance inspires us all.

Adecco Group North America is part of the world’s largest staffing firm and the leading provider of recruitment and workforce solutions. Adecco Group companies include

• Accounting Principals (finance/accounting recruitment)
• AdeccoStaffingUS(temporary staffing for all skills and industries)
• AdeccoSolutions (MSP and RPO services)
• Ajilon Professional Staffing (office, HR & marketing staffing)
• Beeline (workforce management solutions)
• Idea (IT solutions)
• Lee Hecht Harrison (outplacement & leadership development)
• Modis (IT staffing)
• Soliant (healthcare recruiting)

To learn more, visit the Adecco North America website at http://www.adeccousa.com/.